Pre-owned watch shops : Melbourne

Recently in Melbourne for horological and other assorted activities, visits to the main pre-owned watch dealers were, of course, on the agenda. Unlike the compilation of my Hong Kong list of pre-owned watch shops, this was an easy task, as there are three main dealers, two of whom are conveniently located in the CBD, within short walking distance of each other.

Antiquorum (also known as Watchtime), is situated in Melbourne’s most well-known (and heritage listed) shopping arcade. Designed by architect David C. Askew, who has been asked to find his inspiration in the Galleria Vittoria in Milan, the beautiful Block Arcade took two years to build, and was finished in 1893. Originally known as “Carpenter’s Lane” (the precinct was referred to as “The Block”), its current name was as a result of a successful petition by local shopkeepers. Antiquorum stocks a mix of both new and pre-owned pieces, and its website is kept up to date. Shop 15, The Block Arcade 100 Elizabeth Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: +613 9650 3936

A matter of minutes away is The Watch Gallery, which is quite a different watch beast to Antiquorum. Physically a smaller shop, but with more watches on display, it deals solely with pre-owned, both modern and vintage, and has proven to be a source of the odd vintage Omega for many a person. Their website is also kept up to date, with new arrivals listed. 337 Little Collins St Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone :+613 9670 4233

A brief train or tram ride will take you to Armadale Watch Gallery in South Yarra. Having visited their previous premises once, their current premises is a lot larger and brighter. Shonie at Armidale was very engaging, so we ended up chatting for a while, and he was happy for me to take some photos. He stocks a wider range of pre-owned (vintage and modern) watches than the other two dealers, and has a newsletter for which you can sign up.

[Update 2015 : Armadale Watch Gallery is now called European Watch Gallery and has moved to 83 Collins St, next door to Rolex]

An outer Melbourne dealer that I did not get the chance to visit is Ferntree Gully Watch & Clock, who specialise in vintage pieces, often military, but whose online stock is much smaller than that of the other three. As was the case when I did my Hong Kong post mentioned above, I do want to note that I haven’t personally bought any watches from any of the dealers I have visited, so don’t ask me about my own experiences. However, unlike Hong Kong, I do know people who have purchased from all of these Melbourne dealers. Happy watch shopping! PS: Dear Melbournians – as my knowledge of Melbourne is still a bit scratchy, please do include any dealers I have inadvertently missed out in the ‘comments’ section.